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Saturday, November 30, 2013

They say a picture is worth thousand words, but with technology on our side, there is no better way to convey your message than letting others interact with the picture itself. LG, the South Korean electronic company popular in the smartphone industry for bringing us the Nexus 4, has released a new Android app at Google Play Store that lets you play with some new powerful features of its latest flagship, the G2.LG G2 Emulator aims to be the definitive guide for those eyeing the new device, and cleverly conveys various software aspects of company’s new phone by emulating them right on your current phone! You can experience how the six key features of LG G2 work, and also participate in the LG G2 lucky draw event by going through all the 6 features in the form of an interactive game. Details after the jump...

The emulator gives you a guided tour of 6 flagship features of the device that include KnockON, Guest Mode, Slide Aside, QuickMemo, Capture Plus and Clip Tray. Not only can you read information related to each and view some promotional and tutorial videos, but also interact with the feature itself. What’s more, LG is running a competition until September 30th that will put you in the draw to win one of 30 LG G2 phones, or one of 500 $25 Google Play Gift Cards. The competition is open worldwide.

Friday, November 29, 2013

The inherent flexibility of Google’s mobile OS is one of the major factors that makes it so attractive to its users, and it is this very quality that makes it possible for Android users to get the features, look and feel of other platforms with nothing but a few taps. While certain Android fans might smirk at the idea of porting features over from rival platforms – iOS, in particular – others will welcome such alternatives as long as they add a significant value over stock provisions. Case in point: iMessage. Why would anyone want to use iMessage on Android, you ask? It is likely that you have at least one or two good friends, if not many more, who own iPhones. iMessage will enable you to converse with them for free over the internet without them having to install any additional IM apps and vice versa. iMessage Chat for Android makes this possible. However, for now, there to be talk of suspicious behavior and security risks surrounding the app. Read on past the break for details...

Thursday, November 28, 2013

When it comes to task automation on Android, Tasker has come up as the ultimate tool. The app can automate everything you can think of, and pushes the limits of the phone to a new horizon. For those unfamiliar with it, Tasker is basically a rule-based application that lets you create different task profiles in order to execute certain actions automatically when triggered by certain events, with no input required from your side. Tasks can range from anything between toggling various sensors and radios (Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth etc.), controlling music playback, and a ton of additional choices. Though Tasker is only available for a price on Play Store, and has no free variant, and the other few alternatives that are available for free just don’t cut it when it comes to the features. Mini Tasker (now named Condi) aims to redefine the rules by offering powerful task automation free for everyone. It’s a versatile app designed to take care of all your task automation needs. If you’ve ever used Tasker, you will immediately feel at home with Mini Tasker. The app monitors your phone for contexts and performs tasks based on them. Your desired tasks can be accomplished via creating profiles – a combination of Conditions and Actions. As of this writing, the app lets you execute the following actions:..

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Android’s appeal lies in its wide array of customization options. The platform gives full flexibility and control to the users by letting them swap out or customize almost everything – ranging from the home screen, app drawer and lock screen to the notification shade or keyboard. Although rooting your device may be the best way to customize it, you can easily customize quite a few aspects of the OS simply by installing certain Android apps from the Google Play Store. One such app that I found to be extremely handy is Screen Controls, which allows you to set a custom brightness level and screen timeout for each app installed on your device. The app is reminiscent of IntelliScreen, though the latter only allowed customizing per-app screen timeout. Screen Controls’ adds selective brightness control to the mix, which can prove to be extremely useful for dimming out certain apps that have particularly bright UIs. Details after the jump...

While most users might not find the need for per-app brightness and timeout control, there are always those in the Android user-base who wish to go the extra mile. The main screen of Screen Controls carries three tabs; All Apps, Favorites and Running apps – all of which are pretty much self-explanatory. If you’re looking for a particular app, simply enter its name into the search field below the line of tabs.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

When I used Moves on my pal’s iPhone back when it first came out, the app totally blew me away. The activity tracking app sits in the background and learns your daily routine, such as where you go, how far did you walk, sprint or cycle and presents your movements as a simple timeline for later study and analysis, turning your smartphone into a pedometer using a combination of built-in sensors. ProtoGeo, the dev-team behind Moves, have now brought the acclaimed app to Android devices running 4.0 and above, and just like it’s iOS variant, Moves is completely free to use, sporting a flat UI, which looks absolutely gorgeous. Those who can’t help sitting on their couch all day and are looking to get back in shape are surely going to like it...

Monday, November 25, 2013

Smartphones these days can handle so much more than making phone calls. If you often feel the need to view or edit Microsoft Office documents on the go, then today brings exciting news; Google is now offering its cloud-based Quickoffice app for iOS and Android – which was previously being sold for $14.99 at both the App Store and Play Store – completely free of cost. The app enables you to access Office documents straight from your mobile device, and allows editing Word files, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations, as well as uploading these files to your Google Drive account...

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Messaging apps are among the most popular and fastest growing applications genres on Android and iOS. Even though free mobile messaging apps like WhatsApp, Kik or Viber have been getting more consumer attention lately (and incessantly eating away at mobile carriers’ SMS revenues), SMS clients such as Go SMS Pro still haven’t faded entirely into the background. Now SMS is a brand new text messaging app for Android that features Google+ and Google Now-like aesthetics with Android’s Holo interface. The app allows you to send and read your SMS and MMS messages, and comes packaged with loads of additional features and options. Screenshots, usage details and more right after the jump.

Now SMS carries all basic features that you’d expect from an app of this type, along with many advanced features that are usually offered by third-party apps only. It sports a slick UI with fancy animations that are found in Google+ and Google Now. The message list comprises of contact picture, names, time stamp, and a message excerpt. The interface also carries ‘New Message’ and ‘Mark All As Read’ buttons at the top-right for instant access. It also displays total message counter beside each message thread, while all the unread messages in the list are automatically highlighted as bold...

Saturday, November 23, 2013

The Moto X is undoubtedly one of the hottest smartphones on the market right now, and despite efforts by Motorola and mobile carriers to lock it down, it has been rooted by the ever-talented Android hacker Justin Case. Another restriction that many carriers put upon smartphones these days is an extra charge for data tethering, even if you are already paying for an unlimited data plan. This is seen by many as an unfair practice, since it should be up to the user to decide how they want to use the data that they have paid for. That’s why we always see efforts by the third-party Android community members to override these tethering restrictions, enabling users to tether their data to their computers without having to worry about paying an extra charge for that. If you have a Moto X on Verizon or AT&T and have rooted the device, you can also enjoy free, unlimited data tethering on your phone right away, thanks to XDA-Developers Senior Member amoamare. For more information and the complete guide, read on after the jump...

Friday, November 22, 2013

A lot of us have more than just one email account configured on our phone. On Android, you have both the Gmail app and the Email app built to handle all IMAP and POP3 email services, which should do fine for most of us. However, the Email app doesn’t really get close to Gmail when it comes to the immensely intuitive user experience offered by the latter. Enter SolMail – the all-in-one mail app that gets the job done using the same overall interface, design language and gestures as the Gmail app! The app makes use of colors to differentiate your accounts from each other if you happen to view emails from all your accounts on one page. With many more settings and functions to tinker with, read on after the jump to see what the app has to offer...

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Gone are the days when architecture apps were only available on PCs and the software alone could cost you a fortune. Now, there are many free mobile apps that let you make your very own 3D models and objects, and access them from anywhere you want, thanks to the connected world of mobile devices and cloud computing. We reviewed Autodesk FormIt for iOS last year, and the company has recently brought the app to Android as well. I must acknowledge that despite rarely finding myself drawing 3D objects,Autodesk FormIt for Android left me fairly impressed. FormIt boasts a truckload of features, and they all work as advertised. It’s designed to help you model buildings, draw different types of objects, and view them in 3D right on your smartphone or tablet. More to follow after the jump...

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

When it comes to password managers, LastPass pretty much seals the deal for most of us. That said, there are several other choices that keep popping up on the scene. One of them that I recently came across is Safe In Cloud for Windows and Android. The interesting bit about Safe In Cloud is that, unlike LastPass, it synchronizes your passwords to your own cloud storage and supports Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive and Box.net. The application has a really clean interface, and does a wonderful job of safely storing passwords, notes, credit card numbers, email accounts and more. It keeps your all passwords in an encrypted database shielded by 256-bit AES encryption, making it quite safe and secure. What’s more, it can also import and export data between other password managers, and sports full browser integration with Firefox and Chrome...

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Android has made leaps and bounds in terms of progress since its advent, but it can still leave even the latest hardware feeling old at times. Just like with Windows, startup times and the task switching experience can deteriorate over time if your device has tons of apps installed on it. This is because of how many apps run automatically when you boot the device, and if you’re using a device with RAM less than 1GB and a single core processor, you can actually end up grinding your teeth at the dismal speed. However, as I said, Android has made leaps and bounds, and this extends to developer support as well, who seem to come up with a solution to every problem. Enter BootManager –an Xposed framework module that gives you control over every app that is set to auto-start upon boot by the OS. BootManager is a breeze to use even for the most novice of Android users, and all it requires is a rooted device with the Xposed framework installed. More on BootManager and how to use it, after the jump...

Monday, November 18, 2013

There are a bunch of great launcher apps available for Android at Google Play Store to give your handset a fresh new look. These allow you to revamp the interface of your device by adding new usability and cosmetic elements. The latest to join the party is SAO Launcher by XDA-Developers Senior Member Xlythe. SAO, short for Sword Art Online, is built upon an interesting new concept and aims to make navigation between your different apps and settings easier and quicker. Rather than replacing your existing home screen, SAO acts as a sidekick to your default launcher and provides the supported functionality in conjunction with it. In other words, you won’t have to compromise on the features and options offered by your current favorite launcher, as you can use both simultaneously. Details regarding its interface, usage and installation right after the jump...

Sunday, November 17, 2013

The world of Android is full of customization options and we have seen some brilliant launcher apps for home screen replacement on the platform, including the recently reviewed Aviate that totally amazed us. Though once you have customized your phone’s home screen to your liking with the launcher, wallpaper and widgets of your choice, there’s no easy way of saving that complete setup for quickly and easily getting it back later, or sharing it with others. Created by the dev behind OBackup, OSkin is a rather ambitious project that aims to change all that, though it’s currently in beta and you’ll need to have a Google+ profile in order to take it on a spin. So let’s find out more about this interesting app after the break...

The application is currently in beta and in order to install it, you’ll have to join this Google+ community, then visit this link to sign up as a beta tester, and finally head over to the app’s Play Store link (provided at the end of this post) and install it from there. Upon first launch, it will ask you for root access. Simply grant it the appropriate permissions and you’ll land on its home page.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Idea Cellular has announced revision of its 2G and 3G data tariffs across the country. Idea has reduced 2G data tariff by up to 90% across all 22 circles, enabling users to avail 2G data at 2 paise/10 KB...

Friday, November 15, 2013

Ever since Google revealed its $35 Chromecast dongle that lets users stream content from Netflix, Google Play Music, Google Play Movies & TV, and YouTube to their TV by simply plugging their device into it, many third-party developers have taken on the task of making it possible to stream content from many more sources to it. That said, some developers have also looked into hacking the Chromecast software support in the aforementioned apps to make them stream their media to devices other than the Chromecast itself. Cast To UPnP/DLNA for GMusic is one such free app that lets you stream music from Google Play Music to any UPnP/DLNA device by simply using its Chromecast streaming feature.

When you launch the app upon installation, it gives you basic instructions on how to use it, along with a ‘Show me’ link that presents you with screenshots for the process. Though using the app couldn’t get any simpler. Just make sure it’s running (indicated by its persistent notification), and launch Google Play Music. Note that you don’t even have to launch Play Music on the same device as Cast To UPnP/DLNA; it can be on any device, as long as both Android devices are on the same Wi-Fi network...

Thursday, November 14, 2013

The most productive people and groups always keep track of their due tasks in order to complete them efficiently and in time. In this digital age, we are fortunate enough to have many options for desktop, web and mobile platforms that can assist us with our task lists. Using task management apps, you can easily organize your tasks, access your to-do lists, and keep track of your daily productivity. Shifu: To Do & Task Manager for Android might sound like just another app in this genre, but it adds some creativity to the mix. It acts as your sidekick and tries its best to remind you of your most important tasks that you’ve set it to monitor. Unlike many other task managers where you simply put a reminder and get notified later on, Shifu is context-based and automated, making it much more intelligent...

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Many apps available for smartphones claim to have enough intelligence to sniff out a user’ preferences from different sources, and then come up with content that is bound to be of interest. Quite recently, we covered an app named rabt for iOS, which creates a video collection based on your feedback. Other similar apps learn from your reading habits over time, and then there are a few like News.me that show posts depending upon your activity on different social networks. Material is not very different from News.me, but in our experience, the app looks much neater. Also, Material is great at arranging posts into a variety of topics, and discovers your interests with great precision, too. The fact that the app is available on both iOS and Android simply adds to its overall appeal...

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Google Play Store is full of photo editing apps, some of which are quite pricey, while the others are totally free. Repix is the new kid on the block that aims to outpace the competition by bringing something different to the table. We covered the app back in March when it was first released for iOS and as soon as the Android variant was released, we couldn’t wait to give it a go and see how it fares against its iOS counterpart. Suffice to say, we weren’t disappointed in anyway. The app features some really innovative brushes that let you transform your photos into classic masterpieces without a lot of effort. Details to be followed after the jump...

Monday, November 11, 2013

Most of us have had moments when we just stop to think about what we’re doing with our lives, and often, that triggers a thought process that takes us way down memory lane, and also analyze whether we are spending the right amount of time doing the right activities that actually contribute to our goals, or just wasting our time in distractions that we might end up regretting later. However, it isn’t always easy to keep track of everything that we’re doing, and the forgetful ones among us (like me) can definitely use assistance in this regard. One way is to keep a journal of your activities, but that in itself requires time and effort. So, how about a solution that requires zero effort from you, and keeps track of your day-to-day activities in order to present you with that information in an actually useful manner? Enter Chronos – a web service that uses its iOS and Android apps to monitor your routine in order to give you insights on how you are spending your time. In addition, it also aims to help you with your goals and adopting a healthy lifestyle by showing you relevant alerts. More details after the jump...

The Android version of Chronos serves as a mere data collector, with no interface of its own. Upon installation, you’ll be asked to connect with your Facebook or Google account in order to access your collected data on the web. Once signed in, there’s nothing you can do in the app apart from just letting it run in background and collect data, which you can then view at the Chronos website.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Getting bored of how your original photos look? How about adding some fun factor to them?AndWobble is a free and highly entertaining Android app that you can use to play around with photographs on your mobile device by adding interactive wobbling effects. On the basic level, wobbling lets you select any area of an image and then set it to move in a certain direction by tapping over it, which causes the selected portion to bounce randomly. You can play with effects by tapping, dragging or pinching over the wobble area, or by simply shaking the device. AndWobble even allows you to set these wobbling image as a live wallpaper. Not only can you pick your own images and add wobbling effects, but also choose from a number of user-generated content available in AndWobble’s online library...

The app sports a really simple design. The main screen is an amalgam of interactive tiles that gives you access to different sections of the app such as images, settings, downloads, tutorials etc. You can also take picture and add wobbles instantly without having to leave the interface via tapping Camera. When you open an image, you’re provided with an editing workspace where you can work with your wobbles in layers. Wobbles can be added or removed on the fly, and you can control them in a number of ways, such as rescaling their size, and tweaking the direction they should move in when tapped. The canvas carrying the current image can also be resized via pinch gestures. And you can always revert your last change by using Undo button at the top.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Generally, nobody likes to be shocked out of their sleep by that violent morning alarm sound. Though for many of us, alarms have become the sole solution to help us get out of bed. Nowadays, almost all mobile devices come with a built-in alarm clock that works just just fine. However, for those who are looking a little more in their alarm app, Timely for Android is a gorgeous alternative worth giving a shot. Besides waking you up, the app is all about its crisp design and functionality, and a fantastic interface that also boasts beautiful clock widgets, stopwatch and timer. It carries a ton of themes with vibrant colors and designs that look simply gorgeous, and can make your device really stand out...

The most notable thing about Timely is how stunning it looks on your screen. The neat and elegant design has been crafted with perfection in mind. The handful of beautifully animated background themes are sure to appeal to everyone with an aesthetic sense. Developer Bitspin has optimized it fairly well for both phones and tablets. The main interface is divided into three sections: Alarm, Clock and Stopwatch / Timer, each of which can be navigated to via horizontal swipes.

Friday, November 8, 2013

The name CyanogenMod needs no introduction for anyone who has been a part of the Android community. For the uninitiated, its a custom ROM that aims to brings a powerful user experience to every major Android device while retaining stock vanilla AOSP looks. In addition to all of its OS-level features that we’ve detailed in our review of CyanogenMod 10.1, the ROM also comes with its own apps such asApollo Music Player, CyanogenMod File Manager and CyanogenMod Messaging, and one of them is cLock – the well-known clock widget that lets you view the current time, date, weather and alarm information on your home and lock screen. cLock widget comes as default in CM but if you want to install it on your current ROM without switching to CyanogenMod itself, CyangenMod cLock (update: now called Chronus) is what you’re looking for. It’s the official, standalone version of the same widget that can be used on any Android ROM based on 4.2 or later...

CyanogenMod cLock widget is an official release from CM team as a standalone version of the same widget to be used on your home screen or lock screen. This also means that if you’re already on CM 10.1 or later, you don’t need this widget as you already have it as a part of your ROM by default.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Galaxy S4 caused quite a hullabaloo when it was unveiled back in March. Despite still being made chiefly from plastic and sporting a design not too different from its predecessor, the phone’s primary reason for success lies in its powerful innards intertwined with some exciting software implementations. One of those features is dubbed Group Play that allows multiple S4 devices to connect together to play the same music track simultaneously on all of them. TuneMob brings the same Group Play feature to iOS, and works over Bluetooth. If you’re looking for something similar on Android that works on all devices rather than just the S4, SoundSeeder Music Player and SoundSeeder Speaker are worth giving a shot. The former of these acts as a server on the device that has the music, with the other acting as the client for the rest of the phones in the group. More details after the break...

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

YouTube’s latest update to its smartphone app might not have the lengthiest changelog you will ever see, but the changes are pretty big nonetheless. In addition to getting a new icon on both platforms, the app is now capable of letting you navigate your account without stopping video playback. This means that the YouTube app finally lets you minimize videos, so that searching and browsing different areas of the service becomes possible. The miniaturized version of videos is reminiscent of the VideoPane tweak we covered earlier this month. Of course, the playback stops if you exit the app, but within YouTube, you can do anything you want without risking interruptions. The Android variant of the app has undergone several design improvements, while the long-awaited continuous playback option has been added to playlists as well. To top things off, the app now has a new logo...

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

I’m the kind of person who doesn’t just settle around with one Android launcher for long. These apps allow me to personalize my home screen and give it a quick makeover without even rooting the device or flashing any custom themes of sort. While most launcher apps that we’ve tested and reviewed so far tend to ship with loads of features out of the box, Mini Launcher feels fairly compact and minimal, thanks to its lightweight Holo-inspired design that feels fresh and intuitive. The key feature of Mini is its handy sidebar that allows to view current weather, recent apps, calls, messages and toggles for W-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS etc. Another interesting bit about it is that is its support for GO Widgets without actually installing GO Launcher EX itself...

It’s a bit difficult to be instantly blown away by Mini Launcher at first glance, as it features pretty much the same looks on the home screen that we’ve seen on countless other stock-based or stock-inspired launchers such as Nova, Apex and many more. From its home screen and app drawer to applying widgets, everything works in a similar fashion to ICS and JB launchers. On the bright side, its modest design makes it compact and simple to use by everyone, staying close to the vanilla Android look and feel.

Monday, November 4, 2013

If you’ve been a regular user of Google Latitude, you you must have been disappointed when Google decided to retire it a couple of weeks back on the 9th of August. While there was the announcement of a replacement in form of the feature’s integration within Google+, many wanted the same old Latitude experience back. No, Google itself isn’t bringing it back any time soon in its old form but as with Google Reader, third-party developers are coming to the rescue with alternatives to keep providing users with the same experience, or as close to it as possible, and Hemisphere is one such app that brings the Latitude experience back to Android. Let’s take a closer look at the app after the jump...

When you launch the app, you’ll be greeted with the familiar-looking map interface, along with a ‘Me’ bubble representing your location. Unfortunately, none of your friends will show up here by default, and you’ll have to add them to the app from scratch. Also, they’ll themselves need to be using the same app, and approve your request to view their location before you get to seem them on the map. To add someone, simply tap the first button (from the left) in the top bar.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

One of the best things about owning an Android smartphone is the plethora of things power users can do with it, especially after rooting their smartphone or tablet. These include tweaking its complete user interface beyond what’s possible with launchers and lock screen replacement apps, and running certain apps that require root access to perform a wide variety of functions. Developed by XDA member jkok,SMS Tasks is a tiny app that lets you remotely execute commands on your Android phone by sending it an SMS. The commands can range from rebooting your phone and toggling its different features (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, data etc.) to executing any terminal commands on it and more...

Upon first launch, the app will request for root access if your phone is rooted, and providing it will allow you to use all the root-only commands. Otherwise, you’ll only be able to use the commands that don’t require root access. On the app’s home screen, you can set a pass phrase to be specified with your commands if you want to enhance security and avoid abuse by someone else. The default pass phrase is blank. In the More Setting section, you can enable the app’s service to make it start listening to your commands, set it to read all the incoming SMS messages, and also set it to disable wildcard support for potentially dangerous commands...

Saturday, November 2, 2013

There are a truckload of Android launchers available at Google Play Store for users who don’t fancy Sense, TouchWiz or stock Android launcher. I had been using Apex launcher for quite a while until I recently gave Nova Launcher a shot, which completely blew me away. That’s said, GO Launcher is another handsome app packing a host of features. Despite using so many similar launchers, it always makes me curious to try out new alternatives to give my home screen a makeover. If you want a compact launcher with minimal options and lightweight design, try locking your sights at SickSky. Available as an early Beta, the app tries to set itself apart from other launchers rather than mimicking the more popular ones...

Despite being in beta, SickSky launcher works fairly stable. Rather than allowing you play with multiple home screens, the app relies on just one instead, and supports several gestures for quickly accessing the most common areas such as app drawer, calendar, weather and settings. The home screen of the SickSky Launcher carries a Holo-inspired clock that show the current time, date and weather. The two squarish buttons at the bottom corners give access to app drawer and a settings pane that lets you navigate to weather, calendar and settings. After trying many launchers in the past, SickSky instantly felt new. The four gestures supported on the home screen can be pretty useful. For instance, you can simply swipe down to bring in the app drawer. Likewise, swiping left presents a weather screen. It should be mentioned here that these gestures are fully customizable according to your preferences.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Ever since Marissa Mayer took over as its President, Yahoo! has been making strides in terms of apps released for both iOS and Android such as Yahoo! Sports, Mail, News and Weather. What’s better than releasing quality apps? Keeping on updating them with new features and improvements, of course, and that’s what the team behind Yahoo! Weather has just done for the app on Google’s smartphone OS.Yahoo! Weather for Android features stunning user-uploaded pictures for locations, complete with themes based on the time of the day, sign-in support for syncing your locations across devices, widgets and more...

Upon launch, you’ll be shown a brief intro to some of the app’s features. Just dismiss the window to head to the home screen, where you’ll be shown the current weather conditions based on your location.